


we can settle down (cause you're my best friend)

by mockingbirdd



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Friends to Lovers, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26818510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mockingbirdd/pseuds/mockingbirdd
Summary: on your 21st birthday you get a tattoo on your hip with the name and birth date of your soulmate.felix’s gets his best friend.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Felix
Comments: 13
Kudos: 313





	we can settle down (cause you're my best friend)

**Author's Note:**

> the way chanlix is so powerful that made me get out of a months writing block and i ended up coming out with this in a few hours you know
> 
> title from westside by the kooks
> 
> sorry for any typos

“oh fuck,” was the first thing felix said in the morning of his birthday.

he had woken up to a burning on his skin that he  _ knew  _ what meant - he had always paid attention to biology classes - but he wasn’t expecting that.

_ i can’t deal with this right now _ , he thought while checking the time on his phone. he was going to be late for class if he stayed in bed for one more minute.

reluctantly he got up and changed his clothes, grabbing his backpack and leaving his place. classes were going to help him get over the fact that  _ bang chan 19971003  _ was tattooed on his hip.

  
  
  


classes did  _ not  _ help, since every single one of his friends throughout the entire morning and evening were asking about the thing he wanted to forget the most. he stared at his food while jisung and seungmin were, once again, trying to get him to say the name of his soulmate.

_ soulmate _ , that word left a bitter taste on his mouth. felix never liked the concept of soulmates, of having the person’s name imprinted on his skin forever or feeling like destiny had a saying of whom he should fall in love with.

and the thing he was angrier about was how he had been in love with his best friend for years just to find out that he was his soulmate. it was like destiny put a finger on his face and laughed at him.

“where is chan?” he heard seungmin asking and he finally broke off his thoughts.

“i don’t know, he didn’t answer the group chat,” jisung said, checking his phone again. “that’s weird. felix, you heard from him?”

“no,” his voice cracked and jisung arched an eyebrow.

“that’s weird,” he just said again.

“wasn’t his big presentation today? he’s probably just really busy.”

“hey, felix,” minho interrupted while hugging him from behind. “happy birthday! here,” he gave a small box to him.

“oh, thanks, hyung,” he opened and found an earring inside of it. “that’s really pretty, thank you.”

“it’s nothing,” he smiled and kissed jisung’s cheek.

“you two are disgusting.” hyunjin scrunched his face.

“yeah, stop rubbing your relationship on the singles’ nose.” changbin said without even raising his face from his phone. “chan already finished his presentation, but said he has some errands, he’s meeting us later.”

“so, felix, whose name is it? do we know them?” minho leaned over the table.

“he doesn’t want to say it,” jisung rolled his eyes. “he’s just like chan hyung, no wonder they are best friends.”

“well, i hope you can be with them and be happy.”

“i hate this soulmate thing, is stupid,” felix finally snaped and the entire table looked at him. “why can’t i be in love with whoever i want? i hate it.”

everyone was silent for a minute. until minho said,

“oookay. let’s go to our new class, shall we?” he got up and pulled jisung along with him. changbin and seungmin followed them, leaving felix alone with hyunjin.

“look, you don’t have to say whose name it is if you don’t want to,” he said. felix didn’t want to look at his eyes. “but if you want to talk, i’m here. i know a few things about it.”

“it’s just that,” he sighed, “what if the other person doesn’t have my name on their hip?”

“like mine?”

“yeah,” he whispered and looked at hyunjin. “i’m sorry for bringing it up.”

“it’s okay, don’t worry.” he grabbed his backpack and stood up, felix following him back to their class’ building. “it was horrible talking to taeyong hyung and hearing that he had someone else’s name on his hip.  _ especially  _ horrible because he was really sweet about it. but it happened and now i’m okay with it. after a lot of therapy, of course.” he smiled. “but the truth is, you’ll only know if you talk with them.”

“that’s what i’m scared of.”

“it is scary, i won’t lie to you. but after... it’s like a weight getting of your shoulders, to be honest.”

they stopped in front of felix’s classroom, some people already going inside. he stared at his friend for a minute, thinking and,

“it’s chan’s. chan’s name is on my hip,” he blurted out.

“oh.”

“yeah.”

“well, at least you’re already in love with him.”

“shut up, hyunjin.”

they saw felix’s teacher starting the class and felix sighed.

“do you want to skip class and go get cake?”

“you’re the best friend ever, hyun.”

“yeah, i know, i’m trying to steal chan’s place. c’mon, i know a nice bakery few blocks away.”

  
  
  
  


“i’ve always kinda envied jisung and minho, you know,” hyunjin said, putting a piece of pie in his mouth, “they were already dating when minho got jisung’s name.”

“yeah, but after you got taeyong’s name and he didn’t have yours they were pretty anxious about it. imagine dating someone for three years and then discovering they’re your soulmate but you’re not theirs.”

“i can’t even imagine that kind of stress. yesterday jisung actually called minho at three in the morning, when he was woken up by the name and minho ran to our place. i woke up with the sound of them fucking, it was so terrible i left.”

“where did you go?”

“to chan’s. he was the only one who wouldn’t laugh so much at me.”

felix’s phone vibrated and he looked at it, his face changing when he saw who was.

“you look disappointed.”

“chan didn’t wish me a happy birthday yet.”

“he’s just busy, felix.”

he knew hyunjin was trying to be sympathetic, but it wasn’t working. chan was so busy he couldn’t even text his best friend a happy birthday?

“you know, the coffee lady wished me a happy birthday this morning and chan didn’t.”

“don’t read too much into this, sweetheart, you’ve been friends for ages.”

“i know, i just,” he sighed and looked out of the window, “we haven’t hung out in a couple of weeks, i miss him.”

“i know.”

they ate in silence and after they finished hyunjin took felix to the bus stop.

“seriously, try not to think so much about it. we’re all going out tonight to celebrate yours and jisung’s birthday, chan will be there, you can talk.”

“thank you, hyun, for everything.”

“it’s okay, don’t worry. we’re friends, felix, i’m here for you whenever you need.”

  
  
  
  


when felix got home, it was silent since jeongin had classes for the entire day. he left his stuff on his bedroom’s floor and pulled down his pants. there, in an angry black paint against his skin, were the name and birth date. 

one of the first things kids would learn at the school would be about soulmates. everyone knew the rule: on your 21st birthday, you get the name. usually, it’s in pairs: you get someone’s name and they get yours. this didn’t work for just 7% of the population - like hyunjin.

having a soulmate wouldn’t make people instantly fall in love, but the concept of knowing the person is your soulmate somehow messed up with people’s brain, making it easier to fall in love and get together. sometimes it didn’t work out, but usually the universe was right. sometimes they would also never meet - felix’s sister never met her soulmate and ended up falling in love with someone who also never met theirs.

“bang chan,” felix whispered, his finger tracing the name.

chan had been the first one in their group to get the tattoo and until then, three years later, they still didn’t know who was. he stopped changing in front of them and was always careful when they were on the beach or in the pool. not even when he was drunk he would get careless. 

felix was actually hurt by this, he felt like chan didn’t trust him.

(“why can’t you tell me?” felix once asked, when they were drunk on cheap wine and laying down on a towel on the roof of their dorm room.

“it’s not that i don’t want to, i just can’t.” he whispered, not looking at him.

“but why? it doesn’t make sense, we tell each other everything.”

“i can’t be with them,” chan said, his hand moving so he could hold felix’s. “so i don’t want to tell anyone because i don’t wanna suffer.”

“why can’t you be with them?”

“i just can’t.”

felix stared at chan for a long time, their fingers interlocked, the moon shining bright.)

and ever since felix knew, he was so in love with chan that it physically hurts. hyunjin was the only one who knew. two years before when felix saw chan kissing a guy at a college party, hyunjin was the one who found him crying in a corner of the backyard, kissed his forehead and took him home - the next day, he texted to know how he was feeling and they became friends.

felix always wondered if he would stop loving chan when he got his soulmate’s name. his mother always said that it was natural to feel the  _ pull  _ towards their soulmate. maybe now that he knew chan was his it all made sense.

he unlocked his phone and checked his messages.

**chan (◕‿◕✿) >>> stray kids [4:06pm]**

what time tonight again?

**changbinie [4:06pm]**

8

dont be late!!!!

**chan (◕‿◕✿) [4:07pm]**

i wont i promise

**hyunjin （＾ω＾） [4:10pm]**

hyung why didnt you join us today?

╥﹏╥

we missed u

**chan (◕‿◕✿) [4:24pm]**

sorry hyunjinnie~~

i was rly busy

but ill see u tonight!! (・ε・｀)

**hyunjin （＾ω＾） >>> felix [4:25pm]**

chan still hasnt text u?

**felix [4:32pm]**

no 

(╯°Д°)╯ ┻━┻

**jisung-ah >>> felix [4:17pm]**

wth is wrong with chan today?

**felix [4:33pm]**

wdym?

**jisung-ah [4:34pm]**

idk he barely said anything on the gc

**felix [4:34pm]**

he must be busy

**jisung-ah [4:35pm]**

yeah i guess

_ do not think about it,  _ hyunjin had said. god knew how much felix was trying - it was just really difficult, okay.

he opened the private conversation with chan, his fingers hovering the keyboard.

“it’s okay, we talk all the time,” he said out loud to gather courage.

**felix >>> chan (◕‿◕✿) [4:41pm]**

hyung!!!

how was the presentation?

not even 10 seconds later the small dots appeared, showing that chan was typing.

**chan (◕‿◕✿) >>> felix [4:41pm]**

i was super nervous but i think i did good

**felix [4:42pm]**

what did ur teacher say?

**chan (◕‿◕✿) [4:42pm]**

she pointed out some things that i can do better

but she was cool about it

also made some compliments

i gotta go still have some stuff to do

see u later?

**chan (◕‿◕✿) [4:45pm]**

and happy birthday!! i hope u having a nice day ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

**felix [4:46pm]**

thanks

see ya

was felix hurt? oh yeah he was.

  
  
  
  


“c’mon hyung, we’re going to be late.”

“five more minutes.”

felix heard jeongin groan and the sound of the tv on. they were already late, minho and changbin were texting the group chat saying they were waiting for everyone else. jisung, seungmin and hyunjin were on their way there and chan hadn’t say anything after his messages hours ago.

he stared at his reflection, looking at the black leather pants and the dark green shirt. he didn’t like it. he was angry at chan, angry at the universe, angry at everything. he pulled off his shirt and searched around his wardrobe again. 

over ten minutes later he finally went to the living room, finding jeongin watching some friends re-run.

“i’m ready.”

“finally,” the younger turned off the tv and got up, raising his eyebrow when he looked at felix. “damn, hyung, who are you trying to impress?”

“no one,” he shrugged. “it’s my birthday and it’s friday, i want to have fun.”

“well, that’s definitely not going to be a difficult thing,” he smiled. “now let’s go, i wanna drink.”

they took fifteen minutes to get to the bar. it was a famous one near college, packed with students and newly graduates. their friends had a table, a few beer bottles already on top of it.

“damn, felix!” jisung said the moment he saw the two of them. “great outfit.”

“someone wants to have fun tonight, huh,” changbin gigled.

“oh, shut up.” but he was smiling. he sat down besides hyunjin and grabbed his beer.

“you look great.”

“thanks, so do you.”

“i always look great.”

“well, that’s true.”

"where is chan?” jeongin asked.

“i have no idea, he didn’t answer my calls,” changbin checked his phone.

“c’mon, let’s get shots,” hyunjin said fast, pushing felix out of the chair and guiding him to the bar.

“hyun, i’m okay.”

“i know you’re not, but you’ll be. excuse me, he’s the birthday boy!” he told the barman.

“happy birthday, man,” the guy smiled (cute) and put a shot glass in front of him. “this one is on the house,” he winked.

“thank you,” and drank it, wincing a little.

“can we get eight of these?” he asked. then he turned to felix and whispered, “well, on the last option, you can make out with the barman, he’s totally into you.”

felix laughed and helped hyunjin grab the shots, turning back to their table.

he knew people were looking at him. the black crop top he had put on hung loosely on his body, his skin glistening on the dark lights of the bar and his tiny waist on display. it was possible to see a few lines of the phoenix tattoo he had on his rib, just enough to spark curiosity. along with that, he had a golden choker matching golden bracelets on both his wrists and black eyeliner. 

well, he  _ was  _ angry.

when they finally got back to their table, chan had arrived,  [ wearing ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/dd/03/bf/dd03bfdac80afeb3d062cdf09c87e879.jpg) tight black pants and a sleeveless black shirt tugged in. he was next to seungmin, sipping at his friend’s cocktail.

“hey, hyung!” hyunjin said and when chan looked up he choked, coughing while staring at felix.

“hey, guys. happy birthday, felix,” he managed to said once he regained his breath. hyunjin had a smirk on his face.

“thanks, hyung.”

they passed around the shots and everyone wished a happy birthday to jisung and felix before drinking it.

the night passed and felix spent the whole time basically glued to hyunjin. they grabbed more drinks, danced a little and after a few hours they were tipsy enough that hyunjin started to kiss felix’s neck, his hand caressing his thigh under the table.

felix was in the middle of conversation with jisung when he felt like he was being observed. when he looked across the table, his eyes locked with chan’s intense stare. they hadn’t exchange words the entire night and felix could feel the layer of tension between their friend group, no one understanding what was happening.

hyunjin suddenly bit his neck and he let out a small moan. chan got to his feet in two seconds, pulling felix by his hand then.

“c’mon, felix, let’s dance.”

they went to the dance floor and chan pulled him back against his chest, his hands finding their place on felix’s waist, just under his shirt. chan’s hands were warm on his skin and felix fought back a groan, slowly dancing to the song playing.

“what were you doing with hyunjin?” he whispered in felix’s ear.

“nothing.”

“i don’t think it was nothing. i didn’t know you and hyunjin fooled around.”

“just sometimes,” he answered and felt chan’s hands pressing harder on his waist. “are you jealous, hyung?”

“yeah, i am.”

felix wasn’t expecting the honest answer and dislodged his body from chan to turn around and look at him. chan’s eyes were dark, his breathing heavy. 

“why?” felix was genuinely confused. it was the first time chan was showing jealousy towards him.

“come here,” he pulled felix again, their chests colliding, chan’s mouth going straight to felix’s neck. “don’t do this again with him.”

“we’re both single, we can fuck,” he felt more than heard chan’s growl. “why are you acting like this now? you basically ignored me the entire day.”

chan pressed harder and felix’s mind blanked when he felt chan’s hard on against his leg.

“i’m sorry, i was an asshole today, you didn’t deserve it,” he said softly. “i just...didn’t know how to talk to you knowing that now you know your soulmate’s name.”

“this doesn’t make sense, chan.”

“i know.”

before felix could say something more, chan held his face, staring at his eyes briefly before kissing him. it was soft, a mere brush of lips before he pulled back. felix went after, kissing chan again and pulling him closer by the neck.

for years felix wondered how chan’s kisses would feel like, his taste, his tongue on his own. now, he could only melt on his arms, pressing himself against his body, grabbing his hair. chan’s hand went to his ass, squeezing a little and earning a moan from felix.

he was hard and he could feel chan also hardening. his pants were starting to bother him and it was getting more difficult to hold back the moans.

“you wanna get out of here?” chan said against his lips after parting.

“let’s go to mine.”

chan stole one more kiss before leading felix by his hand. once they were outside the bar, the cool air made felix think more clearly again, staring at chan. his best friend made sign for a taxi and looked back at felix. he smiled, before holding his face and leaving a soft kiss on his lips.

“you can back out if you want, we don’t have to do anything, we can just go back inside and continue to party with everyone.”

maybe it was the way he said it, maybe it was how he put felix’s wellbeing above his own desire, maybe it was how much in love felix already was.

maybe it was a mix of everything.

but felix just nodded and opened the taxi door, pulling chan along and feeling his heart beating faster and faster.

  
  
  
  


“how the hell did you manage to put on these pants?” chan complained, trying to pull it down, while felix laughed and did nothing to help him.

“well, sometimes we have to make small sacrifices for the sake of beauty.”

“we sound just like hyunjin.”

“i might be spending too much time with him.”

“yeah, you are.” chan frowned. “stop.”

“stop what?”

“spending so much time with him. spend more with me instead.”

“we see each other all the time.”

“well, not enough.”

chan finally took felix’s pants off and went back to kissing him, his hands going under the crop top.

“you look amazing on this, you know,” he said, his lips leaving a kiss on his jaw.

“thank you.”

“you actually look amazing wearing everything.”

felix could feel his cheeks warming with the compliment and hid his face with his hands.

“c’mon, felix, i wanna look at you,” he laughed, “don’t hide from me.”

“this is weird.”

“what's weird?”

“this.”

“you wanna stop?” chan immediately stoped, taking his hands off felix like it burned him.

felix might have loved him even more in that moment.

“not weird in a way i want to stop, just…”

“weird?”

“yeah.” he laughed and chan giggled, going back to kiss his jaw and neck.

their shirts met the ground next, chan whispering against his skin how he wanted to fuck felix while he wore only the golden choker. felix moaned loudly at that.

chan then kissed felix’s chest and belly, going down to the hem of the underwear. he hesitated for a second, before pulling it down and stopping.

“chan? what’s wrong?” felix leaned on his arms to look down. chan’s fingers traced the soulmate tattoo and felix finally realised. “hm, chan, i--”

unexpectedly, chan opened a huge smile and got up, pushing his pants down and showing his own tattoo.

_ lee felix 20000915 _

“you’re my soulmate too, felix.”

felix sat on the bed and pulled chan down to a hug, making him laugh and hug him back.

“that’s why you ignored me all day?” felix asked and realised he was crying.

“yeah, i’m really sorry. i was scared you wouldn’t get my name.”

“i’m so in love with you, chan, i have been for so many years.”

“me too, baby, me too.” he kissed felix one more time. “i want to make you feel so good now.”

“please, chan.”

chan smiled at him and moved to take off felix’s underwear.

  
  
  
  


“okay, so,” felix started, “you knew i was your soulmate for the past three years? and you didn’t say anything?” 

they were laying down on felix’s bed, their fingers interlocked and legs tangled up, chan’s hand running through felix’s hair.

“yeah,” he answered softly.

“why didn’t you say anything?”

“i didn’t want to force you into anything or make you feel like you had an obligation. and then hyunjin got his tattoo and i--”

“you were scared i wouldn’t get your name?” chan nodded.

“minho actually was the only one who knew about my tattoo, i told him when he confessed to me how scared he was about happening to jisung.”

“hyunjin is the only one who knows i’m in love with you.”

“really?”

“it was actually how we met.”

(“sweetheart? are you okay?”

felix looked up and stared at the beautiful boy crouching in front of him.

“are you a model or something?” he asked and the boy laughed.

“no, but people ask me that a lot. are you okay? why are you crying hiding here?”

“i just saw the boy i’m in love with kissing someone else.”

“oh, sweetie, i’m sorry.”

“he’s also my best friend.”

the boy gave him a sad smile and kissed his forehead.

“what about i get you out of here? you look like you should go home and get some sleep.”

“yes, thank you.”)

“that’s why you were always vague about how you met hyunjin?”

“yeah, i couldn’t really tell you the whole truth.”

chan hummed and looked at some spot behind felix.

“so, you and hyunjin?”

“we’re really good friends.”

“you said you two hook up.”

“we did, a few times. but just when we were lonely.” he kissed chan’s chin. “you’re really jealous, aren’t you?”

“of course i am, i’ve been pining for you for years and hyunjin were getting kisses from you.” he pouted. 

“but you’re the only one in my heart.” chan snorted.

“oh my god, are we going to be as disgusting as minho and jisung?”

“do you mean you wanna date me?”

“obviously, i can’t wait to introduce you as my boyfriend.”

“well, i would love to be introduced as your boyfriend.”

“good.”

they kissed slowly and lazily for a while, the sleep getting stronger. 

“chan?” he made a small noise. “what made you kiss me tonight?”

“well, jealousy,” felix rolled his eyes, “but also, i realised that if i wasn’t your soulmate, i had already lost three years that we could’ve been together. i was so scared of just the idea of you falling for someone else.” chan sighed. “so when i saw you and hyunjin i-- i wanted to be with you at least once, even if the name on your hip was someone’s else.”

“i’m glad you decided it, i’m not sure i would have the courage to be the first one to kiss you.”

“i’m sure you wouldn’t,” felix punched his arm and chan laughed loudly. “i’m really in love with you, you know.”

they kissed again and when they fell asleep in each other arms, it was knowing their tattoos matched.

sometimes the universe got it right.

**Author's Note:**

> [twt](https://twitter.com/bibidibloo)


End file.
